Who is Cary Stayner and where is he now? Hulu's Captive Audience explores killer's life and more

A picture of Cary Stayner (Image via @t_jh2009/Twitter)

For the longest time, the name Cary Stayner sent chills down the spines of residents of Yosemite. Hulu's upcoming docuseries Captive Killer, which is all set to be released on April 21, 2022, will chronicle the life and crimes of the infamous rapist and serial killer who reigned terror in and around Yosemite for a long time before he was caught and put to punishment in 2002.

The three-episode-long docu-series will feature interviews and archival clips of the killer as well as interviews with family members and others who were affected by his criminal activities.

Captive Killer promises to dive deep into the history and psychology of Stayner and bring to light the details of the murders he committed and how it altered the lives of those close to him and his victims. Here is everything to know about the serial killer before the documentary releases.

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Who is Cary Stayner? All about his crimes

Cary Stayner, born and raised in a small town in California, was one of five siblings. Cary started off as a seemingly nice child with healthy interests and aspirations. However, when his younger brother, Steven, was abducted in 1972, things started going very wrong for him.

Neglected by his parents who were preoccupied with finding Steven, coupled with the grief of losing his brother, Stayner started struggling with his internal urges and withdrew. He was clearly psychologically disturbed and turned into a loner and also a pervert.

Cary eventually started working as a handyman in a motel near Yosemite National Park, California in 1997, and around that time three female tourists, 42-year-old Carole Sund, her 15-year-old daughter Juli Sund, and Juli’s 16-year-old friend Silvina Pelosso went missing.

Police found the remains of Carole and Silvina in the trunk of their rental car, while Juli was found after a hand-drawn map was sent to the police station. Subsequently, a few months later, the decapitated body of naturalist Joie Armstrong was found a little away from her cabin.

Cary Stayner became a major suspect in the case when eye witnesses reported seeing his vehicle outside Joie’s cabin. When Steyner was brought in for questioning, he confessed to the four killings, and also to the sexual assault of every victim. Stayner was convicted on August 27, 2002 of first-degree murders.

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Where is Stayner now?

When convicted, Cary had pleaded not guilty by cause of insanity. His defense attorney claimed that Cary’s mental illness, family history, and past sexual abuse led to severe psychological disturbances under the effect of which he committed the murders. A medicinal expert also testified that Cary had obsessive-compulsive disorder, mild autism, and paraphilia.

However, none of this qualified him as legally insane, as a result of which he was convicted on four counts of first-degree murder and subsequently sentenced to death in 2002. However, due to the abolition of capital punishment in the state of California, Cary Stayner remains incarcerated at the San Quentin State Prison. He is still on death row and no execution date for Cary has been set.

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Catch Hulu's Captive Audience this April 21, 2022 to learn more about Yosemite's serial killer.